The present invention relates to containers, and more particularly, to a holder for retaining media such as compact disks.
Holders and other storage containers are known for retaining media such as computer floppy disks as well as compact disks for music and for CD-ROMs. Typically, such holders may be shelved and otherwise themselves stored in stacks. In such shelved or stacked arrangements, the information-bearing indicia or printed materials on the media may be obscured, and so holders of media are known to also include such information-bearing indicia or printed materials to facilitate location and retrieval of specific information on items of media.
For example, as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,942,639; 5,101,973; and 5,396,987; media holders include slots or apertures in which are disposed labels to identify the media stored in the holders. However, the labels are typically oriented sideways or other inconvenient positions, which causes searching through such labels to be difficult. In addition, such labels are typically retained on the holder by permanent adhesive, which reduces the ability to revise such labels as desired by the user.
A need exists for a holder for CDs and the like which presents a customizable and readily-replaceable label in an easy-to-view orientation in the stack of holder/CDs.
In addition, known media holders typically include hinges or other folding elements to maximize the number of items of media which may be retained by the holder. Accordingly, even if such holders are composed of plastic, such hinges may wear and break.
A need exists for a media holder which is capable of retaining multiple CDs without moving parts to avoid wear and breakage.
Further, known media holders do not typically provide cushions and other protective elements for the media stored therein, although CDs and computer disks may indeed be damaged by scratching and friction. In addition, known media holders may not prevent the accumulation of dust, which decreases the retention and retrieval of data from CDs and computer disks.
Accordingly, a needs exists for a media holder which incorporates cushions and other protections against damage and dust.
CD holders known as jewel boxes or jewel cases are typically composed of rigid plastic having a hinged cover which may wear and break. In addition, such jewel boxes have a standard size, typically having a square cross-section with a diameter of about 5 inches (about 12.7 cm.), and substantially circumscribing the circular CD stored therein. These cases typically have a thickness of approximately one-fourth of an inch (about 0.635 cm.), making multiple storage of such cases difficult due to their bulk, especially since such fixed thicknesses in a stack of cases greatly exceeds the combined thicknesses of the CDs stored therein.
Flat replacement holders for CDs are known, such as the xe2x80x9cVIEWPAKxe2x80x9d commercially available from xe2x80x9cUNIVENTURE, INC.xe2x80x9d and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,850,731. Such flat replacement holders of xe2x80x9cUNIVENTURE, INC.xe2x80x9d are transparent bags composed of transparent sheets of plastic having a square cross-section with a diameter of about 5 inches (about 12.7 cm.), and substantially circumscribing the circular CD stored therein,
CDs are provided with artwork and liner notes which, when unfolded and laid flat for insertion into such a flat replacement holder, exceed the size of the standard jewel box as well as the size of the flat replacement holder. Therefore, when transferring these printed materials to the flat replacement holder, one must resort to cutting and truncating such artwork and liner notes, or otherwise bending and folding such printed materials in order to store these printed materials in a flat replacement holder with the CD. Thus, the information and the aesthetic appeal of such printed materials are lost or destroyed due to the difference in size when these printed materials are transferred from a standard jewel case and unfolded and laid flat for insertion into a flat replacement holder.
A need exists for a CD holder which allows for the transfer of the printed material, which has been formatted and folded in three dimensions for display in a one-fourth inch (0.635 cm.) thick jewel case, to be unfolded and stored flat into a thin flat replacement holder, without cutting and truncating such artwork and liner notes, or otherwise without bending and folding such printed materials in order to store them with the CD.
A need also exists for a CD holder which provides sufficient space for artwork, liner notes, and other printed materials having a size greater than the size and space provided by standard jewel boxes and jewel cases.
A holder for compact disks is disclosed which retains labels and other printed materials. The holder includes a plurality of layers bonded together to form multiple sheaths, with at least one media sheath for holding a compact disk, and at least one information sheath for retaining the printed materials. The holder presents a customizable and readily-replaceable label in an easy-to-view orientation in the stack of holder/CDs. The holder does not have hinged or moving mechanical parts, and so is capable of retaining multiple CDs without mechanical wear and breakage. Cushioning and other protective characteristics are provided to avoid damage and the adverse affects of dust.
In addition, the holder may be of sufficient size greater than the size of standard CD jewel boxes or jewel cases to store, preserve, and display the original printed materials provided with the CD without alteration or mutilation of such printed material.